Pencils



May 7, 1963 E. D. vAN DERsAL 3,088,439

' PENcILs Fild NOV- 15, 1961 [f/wf/z mwmw ,UWM far United States Patent O 3,088,439 PENCILS Ernest D. Van Dersal, 2617 Tichner Drive, Portland, Oreg. Filed Nov. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 152,966 Claims. (Cl. 120-19) My invention rel-ates to lead pencils in which 'the leads are -renewable, advanced as used, and retractable when not in use.

The principal objective of my invention is 'to provide a pencil in which the leads are renewable, and wherein the advancement of the lead is visible and conti'ollable.

'I .am aware that there are many pencils on the market in which 'the leads are renewable. ln these pencils the lead is confined though n'ot supported in an enlarged elon'gated oylindrical shell :out of which the lead is dropped through jaws by the 'force of 'gravity. The usual procedure 'employe'd to 'advance the 'lead is to unclamp the jaws and then clamp them when enough lead has passed through them. The 'closing of said jaws becomes a mat- 'ter of dexterity.

In `diiafting rooms 'the leads used may range from [F or softer to SH in hardness. 'Ihe barder the lead the 'Stronger it is. It follows that it is not exp'edient to` expose as much soft lead as hard lead. Experience soon teaches the best length of 'lead to expose in order to minimize breakage. length I seek to control.

In my improved lpencil I have 'complete control of the lead exposure which is always visible.

The preferred form 'of my pencil together with some of the possible V'ari'ations of its parts is i'llustrated in the accompanying draiwing-s of which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a regular peneil.

FIG. 2 is 'a top view of the same pencil.

FIG. 3 'is an elevation 'of a lead-carrying member and 'the adjusting cap.

-F-IG. 4 is an elevation of the casing and its head cap'.

FIG. 5 is .a 'great'ly enl-arged Vertical section on the li'ne 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a similar section on the line 6-6 of FIG. '1.

FIG. 7 is a similar section 'on the line 7-7 of 'FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a 'similar section 'on 't'h'e line 8-8 of PIG. '1.

'FIG. 9 is 'a partial l'o'ngitudinal section on the line 9-9 of PIG. 2.

FIG. 10 is a similar section to which has been added an er-aser.

F'IG. 11 is 'a partial elevation showing a clip attached to' the casing.

F'IG. 12 is a partial 'longitudinal e-levation showing the use of 'a plastic head cap.

FIG. '13 is 'a similar el'evation showing the said head cap as being a frusto conical wire spring.

T'hroughou-t the drawin'gs and the sp'ecifica-tion similar numerals refer to similar parts.

The pencil P includes two elongated lead-confining members 1 'and 2 semi-circular in cross section as shown in 'FIG. 7. These members '1 and 2 may be formed of wood, plastic, or 'other suitable material. 'The flat face 3 of each member 1 and 2 is provided with a semi-circular groove 4 adapted for 'a running fit of the lead diameter being used. This groove 4 extends the length of 't'he members 1 and 2 which are sepanated by the intervening spacer 5 lpositioned 'and secured 'at one end of said members to provide a two-part 'oval structure 6 as rviewed in FIG. 5.

lThe forward end of the members 1 and 2 'are formed with a long `taper 7 as shown in FIGS. l and 3.

The members 1 and 2 are enclose'd in 'a casing C oval in interior 'cross 'section 'and preferably circu-lar in exterior cross section to facilitate installing end caps. This casing C is formed of any suitable material that is clear or through which the contents may be seen, for instance, one

3,088,43'9 Patented May 7, 1963 "ice i of the many pl'astics 'through which contents are viewable. The ov'al interior .of the 'casing C is slightly larger than the oval cross section of the combined lead-carrying members 1 and 2. The 'reason will soon 'be apparent.

The casing C is provided with 'a head cap 8 or 8' and the combined le'ad-carryng members 1 andV 2 are 'fitted with anv 'adjusting cap 9 or 9'. This latter cap may be fo-rmed of plastic or metal and/ or extended to enibrace an eraser 10 'as shown in FIG. 10. I 'prefer to make the head 'cap '8 'of a plastic which can yie'ld slightly under pressure. 'FIG. 12 illustrates this form of cap 8, while FIG. 13 shows the cap 8' consistin-g of 'a eonical spring which yields slightly when a 'tapered member is forced into it thus 'tending to grip said member. The opening '1'1 or 11' inV the 'small 'end of vthe t'apered head cap 8 or 8' is oval in cross section.

Between the adjusting cap 9 or 9' 'and the 'adjacent end of the casing C and movable endwise over the combined members .1 and `2 is the cylindrical slide 12 which carries the s-pline 13 posi'tioned in and movable longitudinally in the 'space 14 provided 'between the two members 1 and 2. See FIG. 2.

The head cap 8 or 8' is provided with a tapered oval bore 1'5 or 15' adapted to receive the t'apere'd ends 7 of the members '1 and 2 'to cause the members 1 and 2 to be moved toward each other to |clamp between them any lead L positioned in the groove 4. 'It is 'app'arent that the spli'ne 13 may be moved by the slide 12 into contact 'with the end of any lead L in -t'he groove 4 'and said lead moved forward in the ygroove 4 any desired distanee.

Into the 'members 1 |and 2 Irearward of the tapered portion 7 thereof I press into each oppositely d-isposed means, 'as sm'all ball bearings 16, which project :from said members 1 and 2 sufiiciently to engage the short diameter of 'the oval interi'or of 'the casing C but not the long diameter thereof.

As a consequence it will be apparent that if the members 1 and 2 are rotated in either direction by lthe adjustin'g cap 9 or 9" rthe 'ball bearings 16 will eventoally engage the 'interi'or 'surface of the casing C and thus force the members .1 and 2 together to clarnp the lead L between them.

In my p'encil the lead L `is not only supported throughout its length but 'clam'pi'ng .pressure is applicable over most of its length.

'I'lie lpencil P 'is 'loaded with 'a length of lead L which is inserted through the 'bore 15 in the head cap 8 or the bore 15' in the head cap 8' into the groove 4 in the' members 1 and 2.

To eject a desired length of lead 'for use, the casing C is moved to the left, we will say, over the members 1 and 2 until 'the tapered end 7 of `said members is clear of the head cap 8 or '8' and within the casing. The slide 12 is then moved to the left rover the members -1 and 2 u'ntil the spline 13 comes into contact with the lead L in the groove 4 whereupon the slide .1.2 'and its spline 13 is moved still farther to 'the left until the desired length of the lead L is exposed 'beyond 'the tapered ends 7 of the members (1 and 2.

When ythe desired length of the -lead L is exposed the adjusting cap 9, 'and incidentally the members 1 and 2 to which it is secured, is moved to -the left until the exposed .lead L is positioned beyond the tapered end of the members 1 and 2 as shown |in FIG. 2 whereupon the lead L is -clamped between said members by turning the adjustin'g What I claim 'as new over .the prior art follows:

1. A -pencil having in combination an elongated transpatent hollow casing having an interior ov'al cross section; a head eap joined t-o one end of said casing and having a 'tapered lbore therethrough of ov-al cross section; a lead; a lead confining unit manually retractable within the casing havi-ng a tapered end portion ad'apted to engage the 'tapered -bore of the head cap land project therethrouigh, said unit including a pair of spaced apart elongated members semi-circular in cross section arranged with their fitat tfaces adjacent to each other said flat faces being provided With oppositely disposed semi-circular grooves in which the lead is slidable endwise; means positioned at one end 'and between the fiat faces of the lead-confining members to hold them in spaced apart relation to provide the unit with -an oval cross section; a slide having a spline moveable between the spaced apart members of the unit and adapted to engage lead within the unit; and means adjacent the open end of the unit and project-ing outwardly therefrom to provide said end of said unit with an outside diameter greater than the shorter inside diameter of the casing ov-al in-terior and lesser than the longer diameter thereof whereby said unit is freely shiftable in said casing When said means extends along said longer diameter but is trictonally gripped in said casing when rotated References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 378,783 Fodrea Feb. 28, 1888 648,833 Bentley May 1, 1900 1,307,1S9 Steelrath June 17, 1919 2,463,345 Youngruist Mar. 1, 1949 2,750,924 Knight June 19, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 332,141 Germany Ian. 24, `1921 272,292 Switzerland Mar. 1, 1951 485,788 Italy Oct. 17, 1953 

1. A PENCIL HAVING IN COMBINATION AN ELONGATED TRANSPARENT HOLLOW CASING HAVING AN INTERIOR OVAL CROSS SECTION; A HEAD CAP JOINED TO ONE END OF SAID CASING AND HAVING A TAPERED BORE THERETHROUGH OF OVAL CROSS SECTION; A LEAD; A LEAD CONFINING UNIT MANUALLY RETRACTABLE WITHIN THE CASING HAVING A TAPERED END PORTION ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE TAPERED BORE OF THE HEAD CAP AND PROJECT THERETHROUGH, SAID UNIT INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED ELONGATED MEMBERS SEMI-CIRCULAR IN CROSS SECTION ARRANGED WITH THEIR FLAT FACES ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER SAID FLAT FACES BEING PROVIDED WITH OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SEMI-CIRCULAR GROOVES IN WHICH THE LEAD IS SLIDABLE ENDWISE; MEANS POSITIONED AT ONE END AND BETWEEN THE FLAT FACES OF THE LEAD-CONFINING MEMBERS TO HOLD THEM IN SPACED APART RELATION TO PROVIDE THE UNIT WITH AN OVAL CROSS SECTION; A SLIDE HAVING A SPLINE MOVABLE BETWEEN THE SPACED APART MEMBERS OF THE UNIT AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE LEAD WITHIN THE UNIT; AND MEANS ADJACENT THE OPEN END OF THE UNIT AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TO PROVIDE SAID END OF SAID UNIT WITH AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE SHORTER INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE CASING OVAL INTERIOR AND LESSER THAN THE LONGER DIAMETER THEREOF WHEREBY SAID UNIT IS FREELY SHIFTABLE IN SAID CASING WHEN SAID MEANS EXTENDS ALONG SAID LONGER DIAMETER BUT IS FRICTIONALLY GRIPPED IN SAID CASING WHEN ROTATED THEREIN TO MOVE SAID MEANS FROM ALONG THE LONGER DIAMETER TOWARD SAID LESSER DIAMETER. 